Festivals & events
Wellsboro Winter Celebration All jazzed up about winter? You have good reason to be if you’re in town February 15 to 18 for Wellsboro’s Winter Celebration, as the weekend gets underway Friday in the lounge at the historic Penn Wells Hotel on Main Street with a jazz jam session. Dutch pianist Bram Wijnands, who hails these days from Kansas City, Missouri, has been a perennial favorite when the Endless Mountain Music Festival comes to Tioga County. He is hosting the evening and is inviting attendees to bring an instrument, get in free, and enjoy a night of music. The Jazz Festival continues Saturday night at the Penn Wells with Bram playing cabaret-style in the lounge as part of a trio; he’ll be back on Sunday with some other folks to play during the hotel’s brunch. You won’t want to miss the food or the music. If all that jazz whets your whistle—and your appetite—for more weekend fun, there is definitely more to be had. On Saturday, Chili With a Chance For Chocolate returns to Main Street. This crowd-pleasing gastronomic event is not only a fund-raiser for Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries, a local shelter for lost and homeless pets (find out more at www.secondchanceas.org), but is an opportunity to taste, and vote on, fabulous home-made chilies as well as take your chances on winning a variety of chocolate-themed gifts. Saturday downtown also marks the return of Elegant Ice. This Ohio-based company (check them out at www.elegantice.com) brings its amazing ice carving expertise to Main Street. The carver is very interactive with the crowd, especially with the younger set; children and grown-ups alike will be astounded at how quickly a chainsaw in an artist’s hands (friendly hands—no worries) can transform a block of frozen water into a sculpture. What else is happening during this year’s Winter Celebration? Friday is Wine 101 at the Warehouse Theatre, starting at 6 p.m. World-renowned wine expert Holly Howell (you may have seen her byline in Mountain Home, where she shares with regional readers her talent as a sommelier), will host the event, during which participants will learn to pair and select wines like a pro in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. The Waste Management Winter RallySprint event just a few miles down the road in Duncan Township is a spectator favorite, loaded with forty-four miles of on-course action. Tickets are available at the gate and the event lasts all day. Find out more at www. wmwr.info. The weekend includes family-focused activities on The Green, arts and crafts up and down Main Street, the Great Snowball Hunt, and all that Wellsboro has to offer—this and snow, too! Make a date to celebrate winter in Wellsboro.
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